Episode 2283 (17th February 1983)
Plot Eddie's building society account interest amounts to £92.08. He is amazed. Deirdre tells Mike that it's going to be hard to get away for the weekend. Stan visits Syd Kippax, a moneylender, and asks him to extend his loan. Kippax refuses him any more until he repays his original loan. Alf tells Deirdre that Ken didn't get the job as the committee thought he didn't have enough energy or drive. Marion is annoyed when Suzie doesn't pull her weight. Elsie threatens to throw her out if she doesn't do her share. Marion is upset when Suzie says Eddie only calls round the house to see her in her skimpy outfits. Deirdre gets angry when Ken feels his life is dull and pointless. She tells him that he's pathetic, all he needs to be is enthusiastic. She tells him that he was too boring for the job. He is furious and upset. When he resigns himself to being boring, Deirdre tells him that she wants more from life than what he gives her and she's found someone else - Mike. Cast Regular cast *Len Fairclough - Peter Adamson *Chalkie Whitely - Teddy Turner *Ken Barlow - William Roache *Deirdre Barlow - Anne Kirkbride *Alf Roberts - Bryan Mosley *Mike Baldwin - Johnny Briggs *Emily Bishop - Eileen Derbyshire *Bet Lynch - Julie Goodyear *Marion Willis - Veronica Doran *Suzie Birchall - Cheryl Murray *Elsie Tanner - Patricia Phoenix *Stan Ogden - Bernard Youens *Eddie Yeats - Geoffrey Hughes *Hilda Ogden - Jean Alexander *Fred Gee - Fred Feast *Tracy Langton - Christabel Finch Guest cast *Syd Kippax - Brian Lawson Places *Coronation Street - Ginnel *Rovers Return Inn - Public *1 Coronation Street - Back room, kitchen and hallway *11 Coronation Street - Back room/kitchen *13 Coronation Street - Back room and kitchen *Corner Shop *S. Kippax & Associates - Exterior *Unknown street in Weatherfield Notes *This episode was scheduled to be transmitted in the programme's usual time slot at 7.30pm on Wednesday 16th February 1983 and this week's episodes were given a greater than usual amount of publicity in preparation for the Ken Barlow/Deirdre Barlow/Mike Baldwin "love triangle" storyline that was reaching its conclusion. However the EETPU (Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union) whose staff handled electronics for the ITV companies decided to hold a meeting to discuss a pay rise which had been given to a foreman without union knowledge and they chose the scheduled transmission time of Episode 2282 due to be shown on 14th February for the meeting. All 105 electricians at Granada Television joined in the meeting, switching off the equipment beforehand as they claimed it would be incorrect for it to be left unattended and consequently ITV in the north-west of England was blacked out and the remainder of the country was unable to broadcast Coronation Street. The Monday episode was shown on 16th February and this episode was rescheduled to Thursday 17th February at 7.30pm. The union claimed to the press that they had given management the statutory seven days' notice of the meeting which may be true as Granada programme controller (and previous programme director) Mike Scott managed to reach a deal for the week's episodes to be given an advertised special omnibus repeat on Channel 4 on Sunday 20th February 1983 at 10.15pm in preparation for what ITV hoped would be a high-rating set of episodes in the coming week. *''TV Times'' synopsis: It's a black day for Ken Barlow as all his illusions are suddenly shattered. Who's paying a visit to local moneylender Syd Kippax? *Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 13,600,000 viewers (8th place). Category:1983 episodes Category:Special repeats Category:Episodes outside of broadcast patterns